So y'all, I'M IN KENYA.
Try to let that sink in for a
minute...I know it certainly hasn't sunk in for me yet! I and the other
students keep looking at each other with wide eyes and saying "Guys,
we're in KENYA."
We left behind a bitterly cold
Chicago on Sunday night (and unfortunately one of our group members, who
was stuck in Detroit :-( ). Fast forward through 21 hours of flying on a very nice airline and a brief layover in Turkey, and we landed in Nairobi at about 3:30am Kenyan time. In both Turkey and Kenya we left the plane via stairs down to the tarmac, which I've never done before so it kind of made me feel like I was in a movie!
We've spent most of this week just getting settled in on campus and doing some orientation stuff. Eating in the cafeteria is always an adventure as we attempt quick mental math at converting shillings to dollars and step around the wild cats that hang out around the tables waiting for dropped food.
I am really enjoying getting to know all my group members: who they are, where they came from, and why they decided to come to Kenya. Most of us only met 5 days ago, but it feels like family already (I don't care how cliche the "my study-abroad group is now my family" line is...it is so good to be here with great people!)
I have had a lot of time to relax and think this week, and have found myself pondering the ways that God works through culture. The Kenyan people are much more relaxed than Americans...being on time often doesn't matter and rushing for much of anything is unnecessary. I have been relishing in the extra time to read my Bible and journal and take as long as I want (waking up around 5 or 6 every morning due to my confused and jet-lagged body helps too!)
I'm taking one class here, the history of Kenya, and I'll be spending the majority of my time working at a children's home, which I'll see for the first time on Monday. I can't wait to meet the kids and get settled in there...this is what my heart has been dreaming of for months and months!
I'm off to soak in the sunshine and not walk on the grass (I guess that's frowned upon here).
Asante sana, friends!
Anna, having this window into a part of the world and a culture I know very little about it going to be wonderful. I'm grateful for the education you'll be giving me :). Looking forward to seeing God at work!
ReplyDelete--Joan
Anna, so glad you made it safe and sound! Is walking on grass frowned upon because there is not much of it or because of the upkeep that must go into it? Make friends with the wild cats for me...Love, Aunt Tam
ReplyDeleteI'm not exactly sure why it's unacceptable to walk on the grass here...lawns are a rare thing in Kenya, so the attitude seems to be that they're for looking at rather than being on. A little hard to get used to since I always cut across the grass on campus back home, but oh well!
ReplyDelete